The wife and two daughters of a well-known BBC radio commentator have been killed at home in what police say was a “targeted” attack involving a crossbow.

There was a major manhunt near London afterwards for the suspect, who media reported was the ex-boyfriend of one of the daughters.

The BBC confirmed the women killed were the family of racing commentator John Hunt – his 61-year-old wife Carol and their daughters Louise and Hannah, aged 25 and 28.

The suspect was identified by police as 26-year-old Kyle Clifford, reportedly Louise’s ex-boyfriend.

Police apprehended him in the Enfield area of north London, about 52 kilometres east of the Hunts’ home and near his own.

Clifford was being treated for injuries. Police did not say how he was injured but said they had fired no shots.

“Following extensive inquiries, the suspect has been located and nobody else is being sought in connection with the investigation at this time,” Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins said.

“This continues to be an incredibly difficult time for the victims’ family and we would ask that their privacy is respected as they come to terms with what has happened,” she added.

Police were alerted on Tuesday night (UK time) about the killings in a house in Bushey, a suburb in north-western London.

Police and ambulance crews tried to save the women but they were pronounced dead at the scene.

Hunt is the main racing commentator for BBC 5 Live, the corporation’s main news and sports radio station. His voice is known to millions through his coverage of the world famous Grand National and the Derby.

The three women were found at home in Bushey, Hertfordshire borough, north of London. Photo: Getty

The Daily Mail and others reported that Hunt found the bodies on Tuesday night, after returning home from reporting at Lingfield Park racecourse, south of London.

It’s reported the women were tied up and shot with a crossbow, and that other weapons may have been used.

As part of a note sent to BBC staff, the broadcaster described the incident as “utterly devastating” and said it would provide Hunt “with all the support we can”.

The BBC reported that Clifford left the army in 2022 after a brief period of service.

Floral tributes are left near the murder scene. Photo: Getty

Jenkins said the investigation was moving “at pace” and that formal identification of the victims was still to come. She also said that the “premature” naming of the victims “caused great upset”.

Local council member Laurence Brass, who lives nearby, said the area was “a typical leafy British suburb”.

“At about eight o’clock last night, I was watching the football on television, and suddenly a helicopter landed in the lawn outside my flat, which is at the top of this road. And then my phone started going, and I was told that there was a major incident here in Bushey and we should all keep away because there was somebody apparently on the run,” he told the BBC.

Under British law, no licence is needed to own a crossbow but it is illegal to carry one in public without a reasonable excuse.

A representative for Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she would “swiftly consider” the findings from a recent review into whether there should be further controls on crossbows.

-with AAP